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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Never Let You Go in Books

Jan 12, 2018  
Never Let You Go
Never Let You Go
Chevy Stevens | 2017 | Mystery, Thriller
8
8.3 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
Having never read any of Chevy Stevens books before, I didn’t know what to expect but having read the description, I thought I would give it a go and I wasn’t disappointed.

This is a fast paced, chilling read with twists that are well-thought out, well developed and believable. Domestic abuse is a difficult subject to write about sensitively and without sensationalism and Chevy does this very well whilst not losing any of the suspense, darkness and fear that comes with living in a very poisonous and controlling relationship.

With great characters and a great story-line, I found this a highly addictive read from start to finish and I will definitely be checking out her other books.

I want to thank the publisher (Little, Brown Book Group UK) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
  
Valerie's Verdict (Dixon Brothers #2)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
WOW. This book... I loved Hallee Bridgemans approach to the topics she presented in this book! Not many people are have the gift of writing realistically about domestic abuse and racial tensions in one book. Hallee Bridgeman did a great job without being real political about it. She told it like it is.
 The characters drew me in instantly with the descriptions she gave of the Dixion brothers and Valerie herself. This is the second book in the Dixion Brothers series, but it can be read as a stand alone. You wont feel lost if you haven't read the first book in the series yet.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the great story plot, amazing character build, and for leaving me in anticipation of what will come next for the Dixion Brothers.
  
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Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated Sundial in Books

Nov 15, 2022  
Sundial
Sundial
Catriona Ward | 2022 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Horror
8
9.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Catriona Ward has got to be one of the best thriller writers around at the moment. I loved The Last House on Needless Street (although it was strange) and this book was just as good, and even more odd. I can’t say that I enjoyed the book as it touched upon some horrifying themes, but I couldn’t put it down as I needed to know what happened. When it came to the twists, I didn’t see most of them coming and Sundial had me guessing the whole way through. The cliffhanger that Catriona Ward ended this book on left some hope that the ending wasn’t as bad as it could be, but also left me with so many questions that are going to remain unsolved.
We meet Rob, a mother who seems to be in a bad marriage with Irving, who seems to cheat on her constantly. There is a lot of manipulation and abuse that is obvious throughout the book, and you consistently wonder why they are still together and don’t just leave each other. Things get worse when Rob starts to suspect something is wrong with her eldest daughter, Callie, and ends up taking Callie back to her childhood home in the desert: Sundial. Here, Rob tells Callie her story and hopes that it explains why Rob and ultimately Callie are the way they are.
I didn’t see the twists coming, and I was shocked by each one right up to the very end of the book. I would say that there should be some trigger warnings for domestic violence and animal abuse though, although the animal abuse isn’t in detail and is glossed over enough to not upset the reader but that they still know what is going on. I look forward to reading more of Catriona Ward’s books in the future.
  
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ArecRain (8 KP) rated His Wicked Lady in Books

Jan 18, 2018  
HW
His Wicked Lady
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is definitely a novel you should not base on its cover. The cover makes it look medieval, the description makes it sound regency, but the actual story has a completely different than both of those.

There were a lot of pros and cons for me in this book. On one hand, I liked the strong females leads and the author tackling the subject domestic abuse. However, it felt awkward in unrealistic for the time frame that the author placed the story in. I also felt the dialogue was a bit out of place. Sometimes, authors modernize dialogue so it is more readable for the readers. I am not sure if that’s what she was doing, but it didn’t detract too much from the story. In fact, I quite enjoyed the lead couple’s bantering for the most part.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed the novel. It had some unrealistic factors that grated against my nerves, but I was invested in the HEA.
  
A Room Away From the Wolves
A Room Away From the Wolves
Nova Ren Suma | 2018 | Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
So many things being represented! Like LGBTQ+, abuse, assualt, depression, etc. (1 more)
Ghosts + love + death + dark back story = recipe for the best book ever!
The beginning is a little confusing, but it ties up well in the second half. (0 more)
A wicked ghost story that will satisfy every need!
I absolutely loved this novel!! I couldn't get enough of it and didn't want it to end. There's LGBTQ+ representation, romance, death, mystery, family drama, talk of suicide and domestic violence. I mean A Room Away From the Wolves has it all!

The only reason why this novel isn't sitting at a 5-star rating is that it was a little confusing in the beginning. I didn't quite understand the story-line and plot and the characters seemed to be lacking. But once I actually delved deeper into the novel, I got my answers and everything became clear yet again.

Want to read more? Head over to my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
  
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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Trouble in Books

Jan 11, 2021  
Trouble
Trouble
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another book that's been on my kindle since 2013.

Um...i don't know how to put my feelings into words about this one. The beginning bit was hard to read. I think this is the first book where domestic abuse has been described and happened in detail for me and I didn't enjoy reading it. Mia had such a shitty life at the start.

I liked Jordan a lot. He's the kind of guy I like my girls to get with in romances. Looks like a bad arse but is really a great guy once you get to know him.

Another thing I liked was that it wasn't set in a school/college environment like most other new adult books but at the same time, I kinda missed that element of football games, meeting after classes, sorority/fraternity parties... Yeah, I'm hard to please where NA books are concerned simply because I've read so many.

P.S. I love Dozer!